Are You Willing To Take Up Your Cross? Realy?

“And Jesus called the crowds with his disciples, and he said to them, "Whoever is willing to come after me, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and let him come after me." Mark 8:34

Do you know what it means to take up your cross? Part of it is to be willing to speak up against wrong doing and evil in a society that often condones and accepts sin. It is being willing to stand alone if you have to. It is doing right when everyone else is doing wrong. 

When the going gets tough do the tough get going literally by running and hiding and denouncing they ever knew Christ such as one of his disciples Simon Peter did when asked if he knew Him. (See John 18:15-27). The way of the cross in the United States is often a cake walk at least currently but attacks are increasing against freedom of speech and right of conscience. 

In foreign lands especially where Islam is the religion westerners are hated, called infidels,  and often threatened if they were to share Jesus.  Also many communist nations forbid sharing the gospel of Jesus. Death or imprisonments could be the result of sharing your faith. So my friend truly think about what it means to “take up your cross” and if faced with torture, beheading,  or death are you going to still stand up for Jesus? 

PRAYER: I would like to think I take up the cross daily but I have done it under cushy American circumstances and not faced with death. Give me the courage to always stand up for you Lord no matter what the cost. In Jesus’ name. Amen.